Disney’s ‘robot’ Spider-Man performs stunts beyond human capability

Disney’s ‘Stuntronic’ robot is able to perform mind-blowing stunts far beyond anything a human stuntman could do. 

Disney’s first foray into robotic stunt performers was the Z-shaped ‘Stickman’, launched in 2018.

The simple-looking bot was capable of performing somersaults while flying through the air. Impressive stuff. 

But, of course, Disney didn’t want to stop there and continued to evolve and refine the robotics leading to the so-called Stuntronics figure, which was released later that same year. 

READ MORE! One of the most advanced robots in the world looks like something out of Power Rangers

What are Disney’s Stuntronics?

To put it simply, ‘Stuntronics’ are stunt-double animatronics that are designed to pull off super-human performances. 

For example, if you wanted Spider-Man to soar through the air in such a way that no mere mortal could, you could simply substitute your human actor for a Stuntronic and then use CGI to make it look realistic later on. 

Disney says the robots were developed to ‘enable superhuman flight through the thoughtful and innovative application of technology’, this means they’re capable of ‘realistic aerial stunts that would be humanly impossible’.

An incredible video shared by Disney showcased what the robotic stunt performer is able to do – and it’s a lot more than a flesh-and-bone counterpart could manage. 

The bots are capable of super-human feats

In a blog post from 2018, Disney explained: “In their mission to create a realistic robotic figure capable of performing complex, acrobatic stunts, Imagineers designed a 90-pound Stuntronics figure to use sophisticated onboard sensors to make its own real-time decisions — all while flying 60 feet in the air. 

“It knows when to tuck its knees to perform a somersault, when to pull its arms to twist, and even when to slow down its spin to make sure it sticks that perfect landing.” 

And, unlike a human, if it does accidentally crash to the ground it won’t break a limb.

Disney added: “When heroes fly, they do so with both style and expertise. The Stuntronics figure is no exception. Onboard sensing equips the figure to perform a variety of combinations of flips, twists and poses with repeatability and precision. Quintuple backward somersault with a tucked landing? No problem. Any hero would approve.”

Pretty impressive, but can it peel an egg, like a Tesla Optimus can?

Anyone who has paid a visit to one of its theme parks will know that Disney’s no stranger to animatronics – many of the rides and attractions make use of robots, which can sing, dance, and possibly give you nightmares.